Last July, Anu Raghavan was in the news for approaching the Kerala High Court challenging her non-inclusion in the national 4x400m relay squad for the Rio Olympics.
She was pitted against the Athletic Federation of India and the Sport Authority of India.
A year later, Anu is scorching the track with her stellar performances -- the Asian Athletics Championships in Bhubaneswar and national inter-state meet in Guntur.
The Palakkad girl won silver in 400m hurdles in Bhubaneswar clocking 57.22 seconds and clinched the gold in Guntur in the same discipline.
Anu was also part of the Kerala team which reigned supreme in 4x400m relay besides picking up a bronze medal in 400m in Guntur. No wonder, she was bestowed the honor of the best woman athlete in the competition.
Ahead of the World Athletics Championships scheduled to begin in London on August 4, indications are that Anu and statemate Anilda Thomas could seal their places in the Indian 4x400m relay team.
Nirmala Sheoran, M.R. Poovamma and Jisna Mathew have booked their spots in the relay team. Anilda, Anu and Juana Murmu are all set to take the other three places, according to Galina Bukharina, the national coach for quartermilers, hurdlers and relay runners, as per a report in a leading national daily.
But the bitter experience last year when she was overlooked for the Rio Games, is perhaps making the Palakkad lass cautious.
“I competed in 400m race (in inter-state meet) hoping to make it to the Indian team for the World Championships. I was racing in 400m after a long break and I had difficulty in judging the race or else I could have come up with a much better time,” Anu told Onmanorama over phone from Patiala.
The 24-year-old was naturally delighted with her maiden international medal at the Asian Championships. “The fact that it was my first international medal made it really special. But at the same time I felt I was capable of a much better timing.”
Anu, who trains under Kerala State Sports Council coach P.B. Jaikumar, in Thiruvananthapuram, will be based in Patiala for the time being.
“If I am selected for the Worlds I will continue training here or else I will l return to Thiruvananthapuram.”
Anu came up with a meet record of 57.39 in 400m hurdles at the Federation Cup in Patiala prior to the Asian Championships.
She rewrote the record books again with a meet record, which was also a new personal best, of 57.21 in the same event in Guntur.
However, Anu was far from impressed with her performances in Guntur.
“I could have run much better in the hurdles. I have to add that the way the meet was conducted was far from ideal. The facilities were poor as I could not even warm up properly due to rain. It rained even in Bhubaneswar, but the organizers were geared up to tackle it,” she said.
Anu has set a goal of running 400m hurdles in 56 seconds this year. “I want to do 400m hurdles in 56 seconds and then lower it to 55 seconds by next year's Asian Games,” said Anu, who has proved a point with her fine run in the past couple of months.
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